Micrometrical adjustment for printing-film frames.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

B. DAY.

MIGROMETRICAL ADJUSTMENT FOR PRINTING FILM FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOB Ben 'am z'flJag A TTOR/VE PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

B. DAY.

MICROMETRIGAL ADJUSTMENT FOR PRINTING FILM FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 //V V E N TOR ,Bezg'amday A TTOR/VE WITNESSES? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN DAY, OF WVEST HOBOKEN, NElV JERSEY. MICROMETRICAL ADJUSTMENT FOR PRlNTlNG-FILM FRAMES.

Patented Feb. 27. 1906.

Application filed April 26, 1905. Qerial No. 257,482.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN DAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Micrometrical Adjustment for Printing-Film Frames, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the accurate hingits printing-film so that they can be raised, lowered, removed for inking, and replaced and yet fall on the work in exactly their original positions, also to devices whereby subse quent prints from the same printing-film printed over or'alongside the first print can be manipulated with accuracy and the manipulation recorded for future reference.

My invention further relates to certain details of construction whereby the necessary accuracy of adjustment is secured quickly and by comparatively simple movements of the parts.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing a printing-film frame mounted and ready for use, together with its supporting parts. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, showing one of the adjustments. used for moving printing-film frames in a lateral direction to the rod 11, wherebyit is supported in certain positions, and also showing the adjustable pintle for supporting the frame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the means for adjusting the printingfilm frame relatively to its bearings in a direction parallel with the general direction of the rod 11. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the general manner of mounting theprinting-frame relatively to the supporting-rod 11. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the clamping mechanism for securing certain movable parts rigidly upon the rod 11. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section upon the line 6 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing a part of the means for mounting the pintle 40. Fig. 7 is a somewhat similar section upon the ing and holding of a printing-film frame and j line 7 of Fig. 1 and showing the part of the means for mounting the pintle 51. Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section upon the line 8 8 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the limiting-stop for the micrometer-screw 41, and Fig. 9 is a section upon the line 9 9 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the non-adjustable spring-pintle mating the adjustable spring-pintle shown in Fig. 3.

A pair of heads 9 are mounted upon side bars 10 10 and preferably integral therewith. A supporting-rod 11 is connected with the heads 9 by means of screws 12 and is rigid relatively to the bars 10. A pair of sleeves 13 are each provided with bearings 14 15 and are slidably mounted upon the supportingrod 11. A casing 16 is provided with a lid 17, secured thereto by means of screws 18, for the purpose of rendering the parts dustproof and also to protect them in other respects as much as possible. A revoluble stub-shaft 19 (see Fig. 2) is fitted with a collar 20, secured rigidly thereto by means of a key 20*. This stub-shaft is provided with a milled head 22, whereby it may be turned by hand, and adjacent to the milled head 22 is a protractor or micrometer gage 21 with lined index 21 for indicating the relative angular movements made by the stub-shaft 19 and the milled head 22, and consequently indicating the travel micrometrically of the stubshaft 19 in the general longitudinal direction of its axis.

Mounted within the casing 16 is a carriage 23, provided with oppositely-disposed portions 24, mating each other and separated by a slot 25 and provided with dependent lugs 23 23 and sliding bearings 23 and 23, fitted to the casing 16 to prevent the carriage from rotating when the milled head 22 is turned to impart motion to it. The bearing 23 is slotted also to receive the upright boss of the pintle 40, in which slot it enters, as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 5. The 0ppositely-disposed portions 24 are each threaded internally at 26 and fit a threaded portion 27 of the revoluble shaft 19. By turning the milled head 22 the threaded portion 27 of the stub shaft causes the carriage to travel slowly in the general direction of the axis of the stub-shaft. A powerful spiral spring 28 encircles a part of the stub-shaft 19 and bears against the casing 16 and also against the portions 24 of the carriage. In this way all play as between the stub-shaft 19, the carwith a conical point 4O an riage 24, the casing 16, and the collar 20, keyed at is taken up, for the reason that no matter what position may be assumed by the stub-shaft 19 it is always under more or less tension from the spring 28, and consequently must make a neat fit relatively to the carriage 23, so that the position of the latter is rendered very exact.

The sleeve 13 (see Fig. 5) is provided with a hollow portion 29, threaded internally and fitted with a revoluble cap 30, provided with a neck 31, threaded externally for the purpose. Passing vertically through this cap is a clamping-screw 32, provided with a milled head 33, whereby it may be turned by hand. Disposed vertically and in alinement with the clamping-screw 32 is a dolly 34, encircled by a spiral spring and provided with a head 36, which serves as a limiting-stop for the spiral spring. When the milled head 33 is rotated in one direction, the dolly is forced into firm engagement with the rod 11, thereby clamping the casing 16 and the sleeve 13 firmly in relation to the rod 1 1, and when the milled head 33 is rotated in the opposite direction the tension of the spring 35 causes the dolly to clear the rod 11, so as to leave the casing free to move relatively upon the same. By this means I avoid any sort of dragging contact as between the clamping-screw 32 and the rod 11 and also avoid any necessity for a rotating member to engage the rod 11.

It will be noted that the two bearings 14 15 are substantially stirrup-shaped and that the dolly 34 is intermediate of these bearings. The result is a triple grip, the dolly 34 pressing the rod 11 in one direction, the bearings 14 15 pressing it in the opposite direction. The clamping effect thus attained is such as to secure the casing 16 upon the rod 11 so firmly that it is to all intents .and purposes temporarily integral therewith and yet may be completely released and rendered quite loose thereon by a siinple turn of the milled head 33.

It will be noted'that the sleeves 13 (see Fig. 1) being revoluble on the rod 11 enables the operator to adjust the film-frame level to the level of the surface on which it is superimposed with great nicety by simply rotating the sleeves and clamping the same in position, this position being shown in Fig. 4.

A pintle of the carria e 23 is provided with afiat portion 40 Encircling this pintle 40 is a washer 37, which bears against a pin 38, passing diametrically through the pintle. The carriage 23 is provided with depending lugs 23 23 and with bearing-lugs 23 23. The depending lugs 23 23 support the pintle 40, the pintle passing directly through these lugs. A spiral spring 39 bears against the washer 37 on the one side and against the depending lug 23 on its inner side. The pintle 40 is threaded at its outer end, as indi cated in Fig. 3, and fitted with a revoluble milled head 41, threaded internally for the purpose, and provided with a protractor 41 for determining the relative position of the milled head 41, and consequently of the pintle 40. The milled head 41 is further provided with an annular passage 42, and within this passa e is a boss 43, mounted rigidly upon the epending lug 23*, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. A screw 44 passes directly through the milled head 41 and is carried bodily around when the milled head is turned. The boss 43 is disposed directly within the orbit of the screw 44, and thus forms a limiting-stop therefor, so that the milled head 41 can only make a single revolution in either direction. The result is that the play of the pintle 40 in the general direction of the axis of the pintle is limited to the distance between two consecutive threads as engaged by the milled head 41. This confines the tension of the spiral spring to a point where it exerts its greatest power and revents excessive turning of the milled ead 41. It therefore follows that no movement given tothe spiral spring can materially alter its degree of tension, which thus remains approximately constant. The pintle 40 is further provided with a boss 45, projecting upwardly therefrom, and upon opposite sides of the boss 45 are comparatively small lugs 46, which prevent angular movement of the boss. A set-screw 47, revolubly mounted within the depending lug 23 by engaging the flattened portion 40 of the pintle 40 also serves to still further prevent the latter from undergoing any angular movement, so that its position is assured, as well as the accuracy of the movement of the pintle-wheel 41. The set-screw 47 does not bind rigidly upon the pintle 40, however, but merely serves as a neat guide for reventing it from turning or from being disp aced in any angular direction. In other words, this screw 47 coacts with the boss 45 to prevent the pintle 40 from turning and from moving laterally, but leaves it free to move in the general direction of its axis when actuated by movements of the milled head 41. A pintle 51 (see Fig. 9) is provided with a washer 37*, similar to the washer 37 in the pintle 40, and is also encircled with. a s iral spring 39*, bearing against a stud 49 i hand side) and against the washer 37. A stop-nut 50, keyed upon the pintle 51, revents the pintle from being shot out 0 its bearings by the spiral spring and regulates the tension of the spring. A set-screw 51 enters the right-hand stud 49 and bears upon the pintle near the conical end 48 and serves, as the case may be, to either secure the pintle in a fixed position or to take up any slight wear of the pintle or its journal at this point. The pintle 51 is rovided with a conical end 48, analogous to t e end 43 of the on its inner leftstipple of dots in relief.

pintle 40. Hinge members 52 are connected with the printing-film frame 53 by means of clamping-jaws 54, held in position by manually-operated fastenings 55. The printingfilm is shown at 56 and is supported by the frame 53. A table is represented by dotted lines at 57 in Fig. 4, and upon this table is a block of stone 58 or other member, upon the top of which the design carried by the printing-film is to be printed.

The angular position of each casing 16 is indicated by the two lines 17 17*, which may be brought into or thrown out of registry with each other by slightly turning the milled heads 22 in Fig. 1.

The operation of my device it as follows: The operator selects a printing-film frame 53, (see Fig. 1,) on which is mounted a printing-film 56, provided with, we will say, a He then secures the hinge members 52 to the corners of the printing-film frame by the device provided therefor by turning the fastenings 55, which jam the clamping-jaws 54 against the inner edge of the frame, holding these hinge members 52 firmly against its outside edge. When both corners of the film-frame are thus clamped, he lays the uninked printing-film level with the surface on which the printing is to be done and in the place it is to occupy on the drawing. He then revolves the sleeve 1.3 of the left-hand adjuster forward or backward until the cone of the pintle is in line with the socket of the hinge members 52 of the lefthand clamp and slides 13 along the rod 11 until the pintle engages the hinge members 52. He then secures the sleeve in its place by turn ing the clamping-screw 33, which jams the dolly 34 against the rod 11 andholds the sleeve thereupon. (See Fig. 5.) The lefthand adjuster being thus alined and secured, the right-hand adjuster is then operated in a similar mannerthat is to say, the sleeve 13 is moved upward or downward and longitudinally with the rod 11 until the pintle enters the socket of the right-hand clamp in a line with the adjusted left-hand clamp. The pintle 51 is s'pring-tensioned, so that when the film-frame and its clamps are pushed against its conical point the pintle yields and is carried back by the pressure against the spring until sufficient tension is obtained to hold the printing-film frame and its clamp firmly, yet yieldingly, between the fixed right-hand pintle and the yielding left-hand pintle. It will be then found that the frame and its film is hinged and adjusted to the level of the surface on which it is desired to print and that the film and its frame can be removed, inked, replaced, and printed from many times with out alteration of the character or looks of the engraved design on the film; but as the object of my invention is to change materially the character of a stipple or other texture and to record such changes accurately, so that the operation can be repeated, I will now describe how these changes are brought about. We will say that it is desired to change a stipple of dotsinto a stipple composed of short perpendicular lines. To do this, I make the first print giving the face value of the texture on the printing-film. I then remove the film, reink, and replace it over the previous print; but before printing the second impression I revolve the milled head 22 (see Fig. 1) on the right and left hand adjusters and turn the said milled head 22 to the right, on eachsay, two notches-thus bringing the carriage 23 forward and parallel with the sup porting-rod 11 and shifting the printing-film toward the operator just enough to slightly lengthen the dot. When the second print is made, a third and a fourth print will continue to lengthen the dot as long as the film is moved in the same direction by turning the milled head 22 on each adjuster. On the contrary, suppose I wish to make of the dots short lines parallel with the rod 11. In this case I turn the milled head 41 (see Fig. 3) to the right, which causes the pintle to recede, and the tension of the spring to the left-hand adjuster attached to the pintle 51 pushes that pintle to the right, and with it the printing-film frame, and throws it laterally out of register. In both these movements the pow 9 erful spiral springs bearing in the casing 16 against said casing and against the carriage 24, Fig. 1, bring the threads of the stubshaft 19 and the internal threads of the carriage 26 into close contact and prevent any backlash when the milled head 22 is turned in opposite directions. The strain caused by the spring 28 bears not only on the carriage, but on the stub-shaft 19 and on the collar 20, secured to the stub-shaft 19, for if this collar were removed the spring would force the stub-shaft out of its bearin at 16, the strain then being against this co lar 16, and when the stub-shaft 19 is turned by the milled head 22 the collar bears firmly against the casing 16, and the threads of the stubshaft at 27 are forced against the internal threading of the carriage 23 at the threaded part 26. In Fig. 3 the same principle is carried out. The pintle 40 is collared at 37 and the collar held by a pin 38. A powerful spiral spring 39 would force the pintle out of its bearings at 23 were it not for its being held by the internally-threaded milled head 41, holding it by means of the threaded portion of the pintle 40. The strain of the spiral spring 39 bearing against the lug 23 and against the collar 37, held by the pin 38, draws the milled head 41 firmly against the lug 23 and takes up the backlash of the threaded part of the milled head 41 when revolved on the threaded portion of the pintle 40. The boss 45 is comparatively long, so that a comparatively slight movement of the upper or outer end indicates a much smaller rocking movement upon the part of the pintle, an imperceptible movement of the pintle is readily detected by the operator.

While, as shown, I support the printingframe by means of pintles and sockets, I do not limit myself to this exact construction, as other bearings may be substituted for supporting the frame without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a locally-threaded stub-shaft ournaled in a casing at both ends with a revoluble milled protractor operating or turning said stub-shaft at one end and a fixed collar at the other end to hold said stub-shaft loosely in position, an internallythreaded carriage through which the threaded portion of said stub-shaft passes, fitting its threads easily, and a powerful spiral spring encircling one end of the stub-shaft and tensioning the threads of the carriage against the threads of the stub-shaft and likewise of the collar where it bears on the outside of the casing, thus bringing pressure to bear on the threads of the carriage so as to take up the backlash of the threads when the stub-shaft is rotated and at the bearings of the collar where it impinges on the outside of the eas- 2. The combination of a milled-head protractor provided with an annular passage, a boss entering this annular passage and rigidly mounted upon the stud against which the milled-head protractor revolves, and a screw passing directly through the milled head protractor and into this annular passage, which, when the milled-head protractor is turned in either direction the movement of the threaded pintle, is stopped by the screw striking the boss.

3. The combination of a casing, a carriage movably mounted therein and provided with a thread, a revoluble stub-shaft mounted partially within said casing and provided with a thread engaging said thread of said carriage, means for turning said revoluble stub-shaft, a spring mounted within said casing and engaging said carria e for the purpose of tensioning the same re atively to said stub-shaft, and means connected with said carriage for supporting a frame. I

4. The combination of a supporting-rod, a sleeve mounted thereupon, a dolly connected with said sleeve, a spring for tensioning said dolly, and a screw for forcing said dolly into engagement with said supporting-rod.

5. The combination of a casing, a carriage mounted therein, a pintle engaging said. carriage and adjustable relatively thereto, a spring for tensioning said pintle relatively to said carriage, a lug mounted upon said carriage, a protractor for measuring movements of said pintle relatively to said carriage, said In other words, protractor being provided with a revoluble head, and a member mounted upon said revoluble head and adapted to engage said lug.

6. The combination of a pintle serving as a journal for supporting an angularly-movable frame, a carriage provided with a lug for supporting said. pintle, a spring for tensioning said pintle relatively to said carriage, a protractor provided with a revoluble member for adjusting the position of said pintle relatively to said carriage, and means for limiting the range of said protractor so as to maintain the tension of said spring approximately constant.

7. The combination of a casing, a stub shaft mounted therein and adapted to be rotated, said stub-shaft being provided with a thread, a collar mounted upon said stub-shaft and engaging said casing so as to prevent longit-udinal movements of said stub-shaft in one direction, a carriage mounted within said casing and provided with a thread engaging said thread of said stubshaft, said casing being thus rendered movable by rotation of said stub-shaft, a spring encircling said stub-shaft and engaging said casin and said carriage, and a bearing connecte with said carriage for supporting a printing-film.

8. The combination of a pintle, one end of which is threaded, a collar mounted upon said pintle, a comparatively strong spiral spring encircling said pintle and bearing at one end of said spring against said collar, a stop for supporting the other end of said spring, a revoluble milled-head protractor threaded internally to fit the threaded end of said pintle and bearing against said stop, alongitudinal guide-boss attached to said pintle and radiating laterally therefrom, and means for preventing angular movement of said guide-boss.

9. The combination of a frame for supporting a printing-film or the like, a pintle for supporting said frame, a boss mounted upon said pintle and extending radially therefrom to prevent rotation thereof, guide mechanism engaging said boss and allowing the same to travel in the general longitudinal direction of said pintle but not to move angularly, and a micrometrical adjusting device for moving said pintle in the general direction of its aXis, thereby securing a fine adjustment.

10. The combination of a supporting-rod, a casing mounted thereupon, a sleeve slidably mounted within said casing, a screw connected with said sleeve and adapted to move toward and from said supporting-rod, a dolly mount ed intermediate of said screw and said rod so as to be forced against the latter, and mechanism connected with said casing for supporting a frame.

11. The combination of a carriage provided with depending lugs having apertures'therethrough, a pintle disposed loosely within said apertures and provided with a threaded carriage and provided with a journal for supporting a printing-film frame or the like, a boss mounted upon said pintle and projecting laterally therefrom into said guideway so as to prevent rotation of said pintle and yet to move freely in the general longitudinal di rection of said pintle, micrometric mechanism for moving said pintle in the general direction of the length thereof, and means for supporting said carriage.

13. The combination of a casing, a stubshaft revolubly j ournaled therein and having a comparatively loose bearing-contact there with, said stub-shaft being provided with a thread, a collar mounted upon said stubshaft and engaging said casing so as to pre vent movements of said stub shaft in the general direction of the length of the axis thereof, a carriage mounted Within said casing and provided with a thread engaging said thread of said stub-shaft, a spring for tensioning said stub-shaft relatively to said casing so as to limit the main friction due to rotation of said stub-shaft to points of engagement only, and a bearing connected with said carriage for supporting a printing-film or the like.

14. The combination of a casing, a carriage movable relatively thereto and provided with a thread, a stub-shaft provided with a thread engaging said thread of said carriage, a collar mounted upon said stub-shaft and engaging said casing, a spring engaging sa1d casing and said carriage so as to take up the play between said stub-shaft and said carriage, a bearing connected with said carriage and adapted to support a printing-film frame or the like, and a member connected with said stub-shaft whereby the latter may be rotated.

15. The combination of a supporting member provided with an aperture, a pintle mounted upon said supporting member and adapted to move relatively thereto for supporting a printing-film frame or the like, a boss mounted upon said pintle and projecting radially therefrom through said aperture in said supporting member to prevent said pintle from turning, said boss being comparatively long so that its outer end may be readily observed by the operator, and a revoluble member threaded upon said pintle and engaging said carriage for adjusting said pintle in the general direction of the axis thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN DAY.

Witnesses:

BRAXTON HARRISON, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

